


Lembas Bread

by MalMuses



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Baking, Ficlet, First Kiss, Fluff, Lord of the Rings, M/M, Nerdery, PB Exchange, Pillow & Blanket Forts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 23:02:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15035249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalMuses/pseuds/MalMuses
Summary: During a nerdy weekend movie marathon, Dean finally shows Cas how much he kneads him.(No apologies for that pun, whatsoever.)A PB Exchange ficlet for lotrspnfangirl.





	Lembas Bread

**Author's Note:**

> When I read the message telling me the tropes my PB Exchange giftee preferred, I had several little ficlets in mind that would have matched. But then, I looked closer and saw the tumblr name of who I'd been given to write for....
> 
> lotrspnfangirl, this is for you. This is a ficlet that had been rolling around in the back of my head for far too long, I just didn't have anything to actually do with it. I hope you enjoy it!

**Lembas Bread**

 

Sam had been planning for weeks, though he would never have confessed as much to his brother. Charlie was coming down to the bunker for the weekend, and the two nerdy friends (plus a faux-reluctant Dean) were going to indulge in a full scale, extended-edition Lord of the Rings movie marathon. Just as soon as they were done with their current demon case, at least. A little obscure demon killing, a lot of Hobbits. Sam had spent a lot of time researching fun themed snacks they could eat while they watched, and setting up the projector screen in the war room. A lot more time than he had spent researching the case, but no one needed to know that.

 

“You should invite Cas,” Dean commented casually as he helped Sam push back the massive, map-covered table that occupied much of the war room. 

 

Sam raised an eyebrow, moving over to grab one of the left-behind chairs.

 

“To the movie thing,” Dean clarified, stepping back to judge the amount of space they had created. “Is this going to be wide enough for the couch?”

 

“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Sam assessed, following Dean’s eyes, “and Dean, why would I need to invite Cas? He’s already here. As are you.”

 

“I just meant…” Dean reached up and scrubbed idly at the back of his head, his hair ruffling under his palm. The action made him seem oddly nervous, though Sam could spot no need for him to be. “I just meant, uh, to make sure he knows he’s welcome. That he’s not just here for the case.”

 

_ Well, maybe if you actually told him he was welcome, Dean, he’d feel more like he was. Maybe he’d stay.  _ Sam filed that thought under ‘things never to say to Dean’ and nodded across to him instead. 

 

“Sure. I’ll mention it to him.” 

 

Dean seemed relieved to have the topic wrapped up so quickly, so they moved on to fetching the couch.

 

Sam didn’t see Cas for much of the day, but managed to corner him late that night when they assembled to research together in the library. The angel was slumped in a chair next to a stack of thick books, muttering to himself occasionally. He always took the research that was in languages Sam couldn’t read. His reaction to Sam’s invitation was a little  more on the concerned side than Sam had imagined.

 

“Charlie is bringing movies,” Cas mused thoughtfully, suddenly sitting more upright. “You are the host, having prepared the rooms and planned much of the event. Dean has agreed to make food.”

 

“Yeah,” Sam shrugged, not quite understanding Cas’ repetition of the information he’d offered. “We thought it’d be fun to relax, nerd out a bit. Even Dean is more into it than he pretends he is.”

 

“So, what should my contribution be?” The seraph appeared mildly concerned. “Isn’t the expectation for such things that everyone contributes something?”

 

“Uh.” Sam shrugged. “I mean, we pretty much have it covered, man. You could offer to help Dean with the food or something. Even if you don’t eat it, you could help him cook. You can read a recipe, right?”

 

Cas blinked. “I can follow instructions.”

 

“Good enough then,” Sam answered with a smile, returning to his research.

 

*****

 

Cas gazed down at the sloppy mess in the bowl before him, currently oozing its way between his fingers. “What is this supposed to be, again?”

 

“Lembas bread… or something.” Dean finished the end of his sentence with a deliberate nonchalance that Castiel didn’t miss. 

 

Dean stepped up to Cas’ side, peering down into the bowl. A small grin passed over his mouth, though Cas wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve it. 

 

“We’ll see how it turns out, buddy. Sometimes cooking and baking are a little more art than they are science,” Dean offered with a soft chuckle, their elbows knocking briefly together before he moved back over to his food preparation area.

 

Cas’ eyebrows pulled together, wrinkling up the skin at the top of his nose as he regarded Dean, considering what he’d said. “Careful measurement, the following of instructions, exact timings – it sounds more like science than artistry to me, Dean.”

 

“You would say that,” Dean grinned widely, but it wasn’t malicious. Reconsidering, he sidled back over to Cas, rolling up his plaid sleeves a little further until they tucked behind his elbows. “You’re terrible at it though, which proves my art theory. Here, it’s all in the hands, after that it’s down to practice makes perfect.”

 

Before Cas knew what was happening, Dean’s hands were in the bowl with his, pushing and pulling at the sticky mess, guiding Cas’s own hands to do the same. They stood close, sharing space and a similar look of concentration as Dean’s fingers worked in between Cas’, shucking off the excess dough. 

 

Cas found himself only barely aware of Dean’s softly spoken instructions, entranced instead by the hunter’s strong hands covering his own. He watched the fingers gripping, sliding over and between his as the dough came together in a ball, until after a minute they stilled.

 

“Cas?”

 

Dean’s candy-apple green eyes were turned straight to him, expectant, though Castiel had no idea what he’d missed.

 

“Yes?” he offered hopefully, aware that their hands remained together in the mixing bowl.

 

Dean’s expectant gaze softened, their eyes locked for a minute before Dean lowered his. “I, uh, asked you if you had done this before. Baking things.”

 

Dean’s hands continued to move again, slower now, though it seemed to Cas that the dough was already formed.

 

“I haven’t,” he confessed. Castiel’s eyes moved back up to Dean’s face, stood even closer than usual, watching Dean as Dean watched their hands. 

 

After a moment, Cas spoke quietly to clarify. “I haven’t ever done this, but in my vessel’s memories – Jimmy’s – I see that he had.”

 

Dean’s lip quirked up at the edge as he spoke, Cas’ eyes following it, entranced. “Really? That’s kinda cool how you can still see what he remembered. What kind of baking did he do?”

 

“Bread, pastries,” Cas shrugged slightly, before moving his fingers slightly up against Dean’s, to indicate their hands’ entwined position. “He even did it exactly like this, sometimes. With his wife.”

 

Dean froze. When he pulled back from the bowl, it felt oddly empty. Cas wasn’t sure what he’d said.

 

******

 

“What up, bitches?” Charlie bounded across the parking lot to Dean, Sam, and Cas with her hugs already prepared. They had agreed to meet up an hour from the bunker to tidy up their case together, before heading back for their nerdy weekend.

 

“Sister from another mister,” Dean squeezed Charlie hard, grinning goofily down at the redhead. “So this is what it takes to tempt you to visit huh? Elves on TV and themed food?”

 

“Those Elves are seriously hot, Dean,” Charlie responded with a wink, reaching to include Castiel in her hugs as soon as the brothers' turn was done.

 

“Uh, hello,” Cas offered awkwardly, though his smile was fond.

 

“Still not a hugger, huh?” Charlie was muffled against his chest, a teasing note to her voice as she deliberately didn’t let him go.

 

“Well, uh, sometimes. With some - I mean…” Cas looked to Sam for help. The younger Winchester came to his defense, but it was while laughing openly.

 

“I think only the ‘profoundly bonded’ get non-awkward hugs from Cas,” Sam teased. “The rest of us might as well be furniture.”

 

Cas flushed deeply, as did Dean.

 

Sparing them, Charlie released the angel with a chuckle. “Let’s go get this demon guys! Get the mundane part out of the way so that we can watch way cooler things on TV.”

 

“Good plan,” Dean muttered with relief, scurrying back to the Impala with his blush still fading at his ears.

 

The demon was easy. Between the four of them, they had the creature dead before it knew what was coming. Riding high on their victory, the small group headed straight back to the bunker to wash off the gore and begin their movie-marathon.

 

*****

 

When Dean returned from his bathroom break after the first movie, Charlie was sprawled in his spot on the couch, her slim frame stretched out across the pillows, taking up  all of the seats.

 

“Where am I supposed to sit, Bradbury? Shift some,” Dean grumbled, poking at her knee.

 

Wickedly, Charlie grinned up at him from her comfortable repose. “Go sit in your blanket fort – it did take you the whole hour that the ring went south to build,” she pointed out.

 

“Too right it did,” Dean gloated as he dropped down to the blanket covered floor.

 

Sam sat in one of the big armchairs they had dragged up into the war room from the library, his feet kicked over one of the arms as he reached to poke at his laptop, starting the second movie.

 

Cas sat somewhat stiffly in the other armchair, slightly away from them. He looked somewhat reserved, but his eyes were fixed firmly on the screen. Dean felt a swelling in his chest to know that the angel was there, just hanging out with them. He caught himself wishing that he wasn’t hanging out quite so far away though.

 

“Blanket fort is big enough for two if there are any takers,” Dean offered, settling his platter of food on the floor in front of him as he lay on his stomach, shuffling back into the fort so he could peek out the door. He knew Sam would say no, and Charlie was comfortable on the couch.

 

“What about you Cas?” Dean thumped at the floor next to him, trying his best to smile invitingly.

 

Cas didn’t offer a verbal response. His brows knitted together, wrinkling his forehead in that intense way he had. He was studying Dean, and Dean couldn’t help but wonder if Cas was thinking the same thoughts he was, drifting back to their slightly-too-close moment in the kitchen earlier that morning. Whether he was or not, he moved, losing his  trench coat and suit jacket before he shuffled in to join Dean.

 

Dean noted that he was smiling a little.

 

Knowing he had something to make up for, Dean nudged at Cas’ shoulder as he lay out on his stomach next to him, his eyes turned up to the TV. 

 

“What about this – did you ever do this before?” Dean whispered, trying not to distract the others from the beginning of  _ The Two Towers _ .

 

Cas regarded him carefully. It seemed like he wanted to answer, but chose not to, shaking his head.

 

Taking a bite of Cas’ surprisingly good bread, Dean worked up the courage for another whisper. 

 

“What about Jimmy?” 

 

Their eyes caught then in the dim light from the screen, green to vivid blue. Dean’s gaze was the first to drop, Cas successfully keeping his silence.

 

“Cas, I’m sorry if I--” Dean began, his whisper low, but he was interrupted rapidly.

 

“Gollum is stalking Frodo and Sam, and you two are talking,” Charlie complained. “Whisper and snuggle away all you like but close the damn door!”

 

Charlie reached over and flopped the blanket Dean had draped over the entrance to his epic fort downwards, sealing them inside with a dramatic grumble, “Heathens.”

 

It was suddenly dark in the fort.

 

When Dean fished out his phone out of his pocket for a little light, he found the corners of Cas’ eyes creased beautifully in amusement. 

 

“What?” He whispered, unable to help himself smiling back.

 

“This is ridiculous Dean,” Cas intoned solemnly, though his entertained expression spoiled his attempt at a complaint. “You’re spending the weekend in a dubiously constructed tent of blankets watching movies with very questionably realistic monsters and snacking on…” It took Cas a moment to remember the term, “Lembas bread.”

 

“Yup,” Dean grinned, shifting onto his side as he lay on the floor. “Except, this blanket fort is magnificent, and if Charlie overhears you criticize this franchise she’ll get really mad. There would be lectures, I warn you.”

 

Reaching to take another chunk of buttery bread from his snack tray before he continued, Dean held Cas’ gaze in the dim phone-screen light. He propped his head up on his hand and turned his face toward the angel, all pretense of watching the screen long-gone as they whispered.

 

The Lembas bread left soft crumbs and a smear of butter at Dean’s lip. “What would you rather be doing, Cas?” 

 

Turning to mirror Dean’s position, Cas was almost uncomfortably close as he faced Dean, his vivid blue eyes gleaming slightly as he studied his friend's lips. 

 

“I enjoyed the baking,” Cas admitted with a soft smile. Still entranced by Dean’s mouth, he only looked up to add, “with you.”

 

Dean felt the flush returning behind his ears; at the angel’s proximity or his words, he wasn’t quite sure. 

 

Working past the lump in Dean's chest seemed to take him a second too long, and Cas dropped his gaze. He began to pull away just a fraction, his face more resigned than embarrassed. Not wanting to ruin it but unsure what to say, Dean reached out quickly instead. Cas had his head resting on one hand, just like Dean, but the other lay curled in  front of his stomach. It was that one that Dean grabbed nervously, sliding his fingers between Cas’ and locking them together, just as they had been when they were kneading bread.

 

Immediately Cas’ attention snapped back. In the dimness of the blanket fort, Dean could sense Cas’ eyes on him as much as he could see them. Cas was close, so close, and Dean found himself needing to fill the silence. 

 

“The Lembas bread is good... if you practice, it could be great,” Dean whispered out thinly, his breath hitching slightly as Cas leaned even closer.

 

There was a moment of decision, somewhere unspoken between them, then Cas leaned in.

 

His breath glanced across Dean’s lips for a split-second, full of nerves, before he pressed his kiss to Dean’s bottom lip, softly suckling in the stray buttery-crumb that remained.

 

That was all.

 

“It is good,” Cas whispered, and Dean could feel his shy grin against his face. “But practice makes perfect.”

 

 

 


End file.
